mizuguchi jinja

Minakuchi Shrine is an ancient shrine listed in the Engishiki, located in Minakuchi-cho, Koka City, Shiga. Ranked as a kensha (prefectural shrine) under the old shrine rating system, it is said by shrine tradition to have been founded in 710 (Wado 3) by decree of Empress Genmei. The principal deity is Okuninushi no Mikoto, revered as a god of nation-building and matchmaking. During the Edo period, successive lords of the Minakuchi domain held the shrine in deep reverence as the guardian deity of the castle town. Each spring, the Minakuchi Hikiyama Festival is held, featuring elaborately decorated festival floats parading through the streets — a vibrant tradition that has continued since ancient times.